• Ednie, Andrea J.
  University of Maine
  
• Leahy, Jessica E.
  University of Maine
  

Forest certification is a voluntary opportunity for landowners to undergo an assessment and verification of the quality of their forest activities. It has been well received by large industrial landowners; however, family forest landowners have not yet embraced the concept. This paper presents the first component of a study investigating whether greater knowledge increases interest in family forestland certification, and exploring family forest landowners’ preferences for education. Eight focus groups were conducted in four counties across northern Minnesota. Results indicated that segmenting the family forest landowner population according to value orientations can provide an opportunity for tailored educational programs. However, regardless of their value orientations, individuals desired educational material outlining combined or balanced information. Focus group data will inform the development of research instruments for a mail-out survey assessing interest in forest certification, and inform local agencies of strategies for improving current forest-related educational outreach programs.